EBE Best of 2015 | Part I

Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick Lamar. He is all that matters in music in 2015. Apparently. In the 3 years since Lamar’s previous album, his following had been growing and growing. Not just in the hip-hop community but among people normally more interested in indie, alternative, punk, or even weirder, not interested in music at all. It was one thing for Lamar to be playing festival shows for white kids as a nice change of pace in a string of interchangeable indie bands, but old white writers who haven’t listened to a new artist since Coldplay came out were jumping on the buzz of To Pimp a Butterfly this year too. I suppose because Lamar happened to be tackling some of the same social issues that they were trying to capture for the various liberal rags competing for the eyeballs of America’s youth. But Kendrick was cooler and more effective; probably because young people love hip-hop and hate reading.

Still, after listening to To Pimp a Butterfly several times, I’m still not sure why it’s so universally loved. Yeah, I recognized that Lamar is talented but is he so transcendent that no one batted an eye when he performed on Ellen? Yes, there are truths being spat on this album, but… is that enough? Are people really listening to “Hood Politics” and finding that this sounds enjoyable? Are white liberals throughout America sitting in their car on the way to work singing “shit don’t change until you get up and wash your ass, nigga” like Michael Bolton in Office Space? I thought that the only hip-hop that grabbed the country’s attention was Kanye, Jay-Z, or whatever pop song that decided to  get crazy and let a rapper have a verse on a top 40 hit. Is smart, not particularly catchy, hip-hop now that beloved by the masses? Or is To Pimp a Butterfly topping every end of the year album list because of white guilt?

I wonder about the true appeal of hip-hop to a large audience because this seems to be the only album that reached anywhere near this level of attention. I’ve seen a few mentions for Lupe Fiasco and a few more for Vince Staples, but it seems like anyone that listened to enough albums in 2015 to rank them only care about Kendrick and a handful of white girls playing harps and singing indie pop. Maybe I’m not personally big on hip-hop because I can’t relate to a lot of the themes. Maybe it’s because I can’t stand albums that have multiple useless interludes. Maybe it’s because, as a friend recently suggested, I don’t care for poetry. Whatever the reason, despite To Pimp A Butterfly being the concensus number one album of 2015, I’m not ranking it. I’m not going to judge it too harshly, but I’ve listened to it enough to conclude that it’s just not for me.

And isn’t that what an album of the year list is for? You listen to albums for 12 months and the ones you enjoyed and will continue to listen to go to the top. I’m not going to claim that anything in my top 25 is intrinsically better than Kendrick Lamar, just that I like it a lot better. There were other albums that people loved that I just couldn’t get into either. The new Alabama Shakes? Didn’t enjoy it. Same with Courtney Barnett. And I was told I would love it. Just didn’t happen. Not sure why either. Too British? Too quirky? Too much talking instead of singing? I don’t know, it wasn’t bad, but again just not for me.

Some other albums I just downright loathed. Take Tame Impala. I had heard a few of their older songs that were pretty decent and thought since everyone was fawning over their album I might really like it. Nope, spacey pop garbage. I listened to it once and had no desire to go back. The Airborne Toxic Event’s Dope Machines was another huge disappointment. Grace Potter’s solo album Midnight? Not a fan. And not because it doesn’t sound like her work with the Nocturnals but because it sounds like boring and outdated ’90s dance pop like something Robyn or Kylie Minogue would have released. Wilco put out another boring record. I keep telling myself I should like them but most of the time I forget that I’m listening to music halfway through each album. The latest album is slightly less boring but infinitely worse. At least the other albums were decent background noise.

Overall I’ve probably listened to about 50 new albums this year which is pretty good for a 30-year old in a society that no longer listens to full albums. I’ve ranked the 25 ones that I enjoyed the most and I imagine those are the ones that I will remember from this year. But first the ones that I liked, just not as much as the others.

Honorable Mention

Murder By Death| Big Dark Love – Adam Turla’s voice previously criticized for trying to out baritone Johnny Cash has gone back to human on this album, however too many of these songs now remind me of the guy from Eve 6. The signature cello is still welcome and there are some solid songs on here like “Send Me Home”, “The Last Thing”, and “It Will Never Die”. Still, even the 3^rd song of that trio reminds me a little too much “I Found Out About You” by The Gin Blossoms. It’s not a good time to be cornering the market on pop-rock bands from 1989 to 1999.

Natalie Prass | Self- Titled – Prass gets too theatrical for me at times on songs like “Christy” and “It is You”. But when she is performing the brassy, jazzy pop songs like “My Baby Don’t Understand Me” or “Bird of Prey” then I’m in. Possibly even all in. Okay, maybe half in. Meaningless descriptions on how “in” I am aside, she’s clearly talented. Still I’m hoping her next album is called Prass’s Brass and the songs sound accordingly. Hopefully they won’t be corny as the title that I’m demanding.

Sam Beam & Ben Bridwell | Sing Into My Mouth – These two did a great job of recreating that late 60s early 70s roots rock sound even though some of the songs they covered weren’t from that genre or time period. “Bullet Proof Soul” and “Am I a Good Man” still stand out to me months after its release but I’m still assessing them the “they didn’t write these songs” penalty. If there is only room for one album of covers on this list it has to go to the one turning Taylor Swift into something tolerable for self respecting adult males. Well, adult males at least.

Grimes | Art Angels – Grimes. Oh, Grimes. I can’t deny that songs like “Realiti” are catchy and enjoyable, but I can’t see what makes this music transcend all previous music preferences and unite people of all tastes and ages either. If a legion of old white mainstream media scribes AND Jay-Z can’t convince me to love you unconditionally then no one will. Still, I appreciate the pop music and more importantly your weird Canadian white girl dancing.

Glen Hansard | Didn’t He Ramble – I don’t love all of the songs here but “Lowly Deserter”, “McCormack’s Wall”, “My Little Ruin”, and “Just to Be the One” are enough to keep me listening to this album. Maybe some of the other songs will grow on me. He’s too good of a songwriter for me to give up on him. Unlike that bitch Marketa. You know that you’re going to regret reuniting with your husband in two weeks! Gah. Hey, you shut up, Once is not just a movie to me.

The Mynabirds | Lovers Know – After talking with frontwoman Laura Burhenn earlier this year, it’s easy for me to support her as a person. But after listening to Lovers Know it’s even harder for me not to support The Mynabirds because of her heavenly voice. While some of the songs may be too electronic for my cup of tea Burhenn’s vocals are hauntingly beautiful. Undeniably so. Seriously, try to deny it. I will fight you.

Father John Misty | I Love You, Honeybear – This guy really blew up this year, huh? This is basically Hipster Album of the Year finding itself near the top of a lot of peoples’ lists as well as in a recent episode of Aziz Ansari’s Master of None. Which is incredible and you should certainly check out. But, I Love You, Honeybear? It’s not a bad album and it certainly has its bright spots like “Chateau Lobby #4” and “The Ideal Husband”. Still, I can’t help but give this the dreaded overrated stamp of disapproval. Okay, I could help it but something about the way that Tillman sings just pisses me off.

Sleater- Kinney | No Cities to Love – I didn’t expect to like this album since I didn’t care for any of their stuff from the 90s or early 2000s. On a semi-related note I don’t really like Portlandia either but that’s more about Fred Armisen, not (guitarist and co-vocalist) Carrie Brownstein. I don’t know what it is about him, but even his face just rubs me the wrong way. But screw Fred, this isn’t about him. No Cities to Love still has the interesting guitar work of their previous stuff but the upped production has made the vocals not so grating anymore. I’m sure longtime fans hate it and really hate the fact that Sleater-Kinney now sounds enjoyable to aging white men like me but too fucking bad, I like this album.

Motion City Soundtrack | Panic Stations – This is sort of like a lifetime achievement ranking where I’m not sure this would have even made the Honorable Mention list if I didn’t have such fond memories of their first couple albums. Panic Stations wins extra points for being infinitely better than their last crapbag album, but sadly this band may have just aged out of making catchy up-tempo pop punks songs where they were truly at their best. Still songs like “Anything at All” and “I Can Feel You” recall MCS at their peak (the later also recalling Jimmy Eat World at their peak) enough to enjoy Panic Stations from time to time throughout 2015.

Kacey Musgraves | Pageant Material – This is the only pop country album on the list because it’s typically a genre that I hate. But this album is different. Even when it’s hoaky Musgraves is charming and her music shows appreciation for the real country artists that came before her. From the pedal steel on “Biscuits” and the title track to her folksy storytelling throughout, there is some surprisingly solid musicianship for an extremely accessible pop record. I admit that I don’t listen to this album as much as some of the others on this list but I always enjoy it whenever I do.

Death Cab for Cutie | Kintsugi – “Black Sun” is one of their best songs ever which is weird since it is on possibly the worst album of their career. Kintsugi had its other moments: “The Ghosts of Beverly Drive” is catchy as all hell and “Little Wanderer” is the sad and satisfying break-up song the world was waiting for since Zooey kicked Ben Gibbard to the curb. But about half of the album is just not good and no amount of time or listens has convinced me to think any higher of this album as a whole.

The Districts | A Flourish and a Spoil – Lead-off track “4^th & Roebling” is one of my favorite songs of 2015 so that has to count for something right? The rest of this album has its ups and downs but is still a pretty good Strokes-ian effort. I don’t think it compares well to the self-titled EP that preceded it, but its still worth a listen, especially for the first track and the last few songs on the disc.

Jason Isbell – Something More Than Free – I wrote about Isbell’s latest album not too long ago and while I’ve had just a little more time to get acquainted with Something More Than Free it hasn’t won me over entirely. There are some really good songs to be found here like “If It Takes a Lifetime”, but most of the songs sort of blend together unless you pay attention to the lyrics, which I admit are quite strong. Isbell is getting a lot more press behind this album and it really is a nice easy listen, but I feel pretty much the same way about this record as I do his previous material: I like it, but I don’t love it.

Editors Note: Top 25 will be posted tomorrow. Or the next day. Depends on how lazy I feel. Maybe next week. Sometime in 2016 for sure.

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Bake

I'm nothing. Maybe less than nothing. I also write.

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